Speed regulator



April 17, 1934. MELUCHAMPE 1,955,198

SPEED REGULATOR Filed March 10, 1931 L. B. MeZlz'cfiam ae Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to speed regulators for automotive engines and has for an object to provide a device adapted to maintain a predetermined vehicle speed by automatically accelerating and retarding the speed of the motor on grades.

A further object is to provide a device which will control a throttle valve in the mixture line from the carbureter to the motor intake manifold to automatically vary the volume of mixture delivered to the motor on grades.

A further object is to provide a device which may be used, in addition to or independent of the usual hand controlled throttle valve, for automatically controlling the speed of the motor.

-A still further object is to provide a speed regulator which may be formed of a few simple, durable and inexpensive parts which will not easily get out of order.

0 With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to 6 within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification,

., Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device in applied position, taken on the'line 1--1 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the device applied, and 1 Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, 19 designates an internal 4O combustion motor, 11 the carbureter, 12 the mixture pipe from the carbureter to the intake manifold 13, and 14 designates the usual throttle valve which is hand controlled from the dash to vary the volume of mixture delivered to the motor.

In carrying out the preferred embodiment of the invention, a substantially Y-shaped bracket 15 is provided, the branches of which are secured to the head of the motor by a pair of standard bolts 16 of the motor head, and the shank of which is secured to the motor by means of one of the standard crank case bolts 17 of the motor. As best shown in Fig. 2, the terminals of the branches and of the shank of the bracket are bent at a right angle to the plane of the bracket for mounting the bracket upright on the side of the motor.

A pair of spaced chambers 18 and 19 are adjustably mounted on the bracket by means of a link 20 brazed or otherwise secured terminally to the chambers and provided centrally with an elongated eye 21 which is centered on the shank of the bracket. A set screw 22 is passed through the eye and threaded into a suitable opening in the shank of the bracket to permit of the chambers being adjusted vertically on the bracket, as will be understood.

Both chambers are connected at the bottom by an integral pipe 23 which affords communication between the chambers. As shown in Fig. 3, the pipe is provided on the rear side with a pair of guide lugs 24'which embrace the edges of the bracket 15 and direct sliding movement of the chamber assembly on the bracket.

Both chambers are adapted to be partially filled with a liquid, preferably of semi-viscous character, such as oil, glycerine, anti-freeze mixture, or the like. A filling cap 25 is provided on one of the chambers for this purpose, and both chambers are equipped with vents 26 in the top to vent the chambers to the atmosphere.

The cross sectional area of the pipe 23 is such as to prevent surging of the liquid, with consequent abrupt fiuctuations of liquid level in the chambers. To further restrict too free passage of the liquid through the pipe, a valve 27 is located centrally in the pipe, and the stem of the valve is equipped with a grip 28 outside of the pipe by means of which the valve may be manually adjusted to regulate the flow of liquid through the pipe as desired.

Disposed in the chamber 18 is a float 29 having a stem 30 which projects through a bearing 31 carried by the top of the chamber. A link 32 connects the top of the float stem with the stem 33 of a throttle valve 34 located in the mixture pipe 12 between the ordinary throttle valve 14 with which the carbureter is equipped and the intake manifold 13 of the motor. Movement of the float will be imparted through the link 32 to the throttle valve 34. Consequently, on grades. a rise or fall in the liquid level, due to inclination of the motor, will be transmitted through the float to move the throttle valve 34.

Assuming that the position of the throttle valve 34 is normally such as to admit a predetermined volume of mixture to the cylinders when the float is in normal position corresponding to travel on level roadways, it will be evident that when the oil level recedes due to travel on an is spaced from the top face of the float.

upgrade, the throttle valve 34 will be automatically opened wider to admit a greater volume of mixture to the cylinders and maintain the vehicle speed constant. Conversely, when the oil level rises in the front chamber 18, due to travel downgrade, the float will move the throttle valve 34 to more nearly closed position to decrease the volume of mixture delivered to the cylinders, with consequent slowing down of the vehicle speed to the normal predetermined speed.

It is desirable that the assembly of front and rear chambers 18 and 19 above described be capable of being adjusted vertically from the dash and, for this purpose, a rack is secured to the bottom of the pipe 23, preferably by bending outwardly the top 36 of the rack to extend alongthe lower surface of the pipe, the top being brazed or otherwise rigidly secured thereto. The rack extends downwardly, and is slidably fitted on, the shank of the bracket 15, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A pinion 37 meshes with the rack, the shaft 38 of the pinion being journaled in suitable bearings 39 formed integral with the front face of the bracket shank. One end of the pinion shaft extends beyond the rear bearing and is connected by means of a universal joint 8 with a rod 9 which is passed to the vehicle dash and may be from there turned on its axis to rotate the pinion for moving the rack vertically. The set screw 22 may be tightened if desired after vertical adjustment of the chamber assembly to maintain the adjustment permanent, or may be, if desired, left sufliciently loose to frictionally hold the link against the bracket shank so that the above described adjustment may be made from the dash whenever desired.

For limiting the play of the float, a stop pin 40 is adjustably secured in the top of the front chamber 18 by means of a set screw 41, and the lower end 42 of the pin is bent abruptly to ext'iTd underneath the float. A second stop pin 43 is adjustably secured in the top of the chamber by means of a set screw 44 and terminates at the lower end in a disk head 45 which confronts and Rise and fall of the float is limited by contact with the head 45 and end 42 of the pins 43 and 40, respectively.

In operation, the usual throttle valve 14 may be turned to completely open position if desired and the speed of the motor controlled automatically to maintain a predetermined touring speed by means of the throttle valve 34. The usual throttle valve 14 may be then operated at will to cut off the mixture or retard the speed to idling speed, and thus it will be seen the usual throttle valve coacts with the automatic throttle valve 34 in controlling the speed of the motor.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention chambers connected together at the bottom and vented to the atmosphere above the fluid level, means for preventing too free flow of the liquid from one chamber to the other chamber, a float in one of the chambers operatively connected to the throttle valve, vertically adjustable stops mounted in the top of the last-named chamber and having their lower ends disposed in the path of and respectively above and below the float, means for mounting said chambers on the side of the engine, and means for raising and lowering said chambers as a unit on the first-named means.

2. A speed regulator for automotive engines comprising a bracket adapted to be secured to the engine, a pair of fluid chambers disposed on opposite sides of the bracket and connected together at the bottom, a rack and pinion device operatively connected with the chambers for moving the chambers vertically as a unit on the bracket, a float in one of the chambers, and a throttle valve for controlling the admission of mixture to the engine operatively connected to the float.

3. A speed regulator for automotive engines comprising a pair of fluid chambers, a pipe connecting the chambers at the bottom, a bracket between the chambers passing across said pipe for mounting the chambers on the side of the engine, guides on the pipe embracing the bracket, a link connecting the chambers and having an elongated eye centered on the bracket, a set screw passing through said eye and engaged in the bracket for holding the chambers in adjusted positions on the bracket, manually operable means for adjusting the chambers vertically on the bracket, a throttle valve, and float in one of the chambers operatively connected to the throttle valve.

4. A speed regulator for automotive engines comprising a pair of fluid chambers, a pipe connecting the chambers at the bottom, a manually operable valve in the pipe for preventing surging of fluid through the pipe, a float in one of the chambers, a stop adjustably mounted in the top of the chamber and having its lower end arranged over the float, a second stop adjustably mounted in the top of the chamber and having its lower and projected under the float, a throttle valve, means operatively connecting the throttle valve to the float, means for mounting the chambers on the side of the engine, and means for adjusting the chambers as a unit vertically on the first-named means.

LAWTON B. MELLICHAMPE. [L.S.] 

